California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter V – The California Passenger Rail Network
the right under the RPSA to access freight railroad tracks at incremental cost for
the operation of intercity rail passenger services.
Currently, there is no definition in State law for commuter or intercity rail service.
Prior definitions, which essentially referred to the Federal definitions, were deleted
under Chapter 622, Statutes of 1997 (SB 45 - Kopp).
AMTRAK BASIC SYSTEM SERVICES
Currently, Amtrak operates basic system long-distance trains on five routes in
California that link California with other states. Basic system trains are fully
funded by Amtrak and also provide varying levels of intrastate service within
California. The Pacific Surfliner Route is unique because it is partially a basic
system service and partially State-supported.
The following describes the basic system routes serving California and their
significance to the State’s transportation needs. Ridership figures are for
FFY 2004-05 and include the total route ridership, not just the portion in
California. Figure 5E is a map displaying the Amtrak basic system routes in
California.
ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS
Pacific Surfliner Route (San Luis Obispo-Los Angeles-San Diego)
Ridership on the Pacific Surfliner Route is only exceeded by service in the
Northeast Corridor operating between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Eleven round trips operate on Monday through Thursday, and twelve operate on
Friday through Sunday between Los Angeles and San Diego. Five daily roundtrips
are extended north between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, with two
continuing on to San Luis Obispo. Amtrak pays for 30 percent of the entire
service as part of Amtrak’s basic system, while the State pays for the remaining
70 percent of the service. Ridership in FFY 2004-05 was 2,520,444, an increase
of 7.5 percent from the previous year. Chapter V discusses this route in detail.
The Coast Starlight (Los Angeles-Oakland-Sacramento-Portland-Seattle)
The Coast Starlight’s daily round-trip is the most popular long distance train in the
Amtrak system. For many years, demand has often outstripped capacity during
summer and holiday travel periods. A substantial portion of the Route’s ridership
is generated by intrastate California travel. The Route provides the only rail
service north from Sacramento to Redding and Oregon, and the only through rail
service from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. Direct connections with the
Pacific Surfliner at Los Angeles effectively extend the route south to San Diego.
Connections with the San Joaquin at Sacramento and Martinez provide
Central Valley access for travelers to and from the north. Portland and Seattle are
key stops to the north. Ridership in FFY 2004-05 on the service’s one daily
round-trip totaled 372,304, a decrease of 10.4 percent from the previous year.
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